Perfect Animal
by monicawoe
Summary: the alpha vampire said soulless-Sam would be "his perfect animal." He was.   set during and after 6x07
1. Chapter 1

The alpha vampire's cage was empty.

"We take the thing's head off or it kills us all! You know that." Dean yelled at Samuel.

Gwen and Christian watched the exchange silently.

Dean turned to them, and then to Sam and said, "Okay. We split up. Clear every room. You get a shot, you take it. It's not gonna kill him, but dude will move a lot slower without any kneecaps." He turned to Samuel, adding," And if we make it through this, you, me, and Sam are having one hell of a family meeting."

They left the room as a group and started to search for the alpha-vampire. Dean and Gwen went one way, while Sam went with Christian and Samuel.

They searched every room, but couldn't find the vampire. "You think he ran out?" Christian asked. Then he made an odd, strangled noise as the alpha vampire grabbed him by the neck and twisted. There was a loud snapping sound and Christian fell to the floor.

The vampire flinched briefly when Samuel shot him four times in a row, but he walked on unimpressed, shoved Samuel backwards, and sent him flying.

Sam fought the alpha vampire, trying to get close enough to strike with his machete. The vampire moved far too quickly for Sam to see and pinned him against the wall with ease.

He smiled at Sam and said, softly, "The boy with no soul. I've got big plans for you. It's amazing how that pesky, little soul gets in the way. But not for you. You will be the perfect...animal." His fangs descended and he bit into his own wrist. He pushed Sam's head down onto the bleeding wound and held him there.

Sam struggled, but only for a few moments. The vampire's blood flooded his senses, and filled him with pleasure - far more than he'd felt since he'd been torn from Hell. Distantly, he heard the vampire let out of grunt of pain, right before his wrist was pulled away. Sam's eyes flipped open and he saw Christian staring back at him with black eyes. The vampire collapsed to the floor, as Christian withdrew the empty syringe of dead man's blood.

Sam ran his tongue over his lips, tasting the vampire's intoxicating blood one more time. He felt the points of his new, razor-sharp teeth and lunged at Christian.

Demons were fast, but not as fast as what Sam had become. His fangs sunk through Christian's flesh and he drank deep. The demon struggled against him futilely.

The demon's blood was familiar and sent a rush of memories through Sam's mind. He remembered, distantly, feeling shame and disgust when he'd first tasted demon blood. He didn't feel that now - he'd thought he couldn't feel anything beyond the most basic, primal needs, but the demon blood woke something in Sam - something powerful, and ravenous. It mixed with the lingering euphoria from the vampire's blood and made Sam feel _alive_.

Christian's black eyes flickered weakly as Sam drained the last of his blood. Sam pulled back from him and smiled. Christian opened his mouth, and tried to say something, but Sam raised his hand and slowly made a fist. Christian's eyes lit up with dark yellow fire and then died out. He fell to the floor, empty.

Dean rounded the corner just in time to see Sam wipe Christian's blood from his mouth.

Sam crouched down next to the alpha vampire's body, and lifted his head up, carefully.

"Sam..." Dean said, and took a hesitant step towards his brother.

Sam lifted the vampire off the floor, and stood. Then he turned to Dean, shook his head and vanished.

Vampires couldn't teleport. Dean knew that Sam had just moved so quickly he hadn't seen him leave. He had no idea what direction he'd gone, and he had no idea what to do.

* * *

><p>Sam carried the vampire far into the woods nearby. He moved easily through the dark forest, quicker than he'd ever thought possible. He could see, and hear, and smell <em>everything<em>around him.

Sam stopped by a river and placed the vampire on the cool, damp ground.

The vampire's eyes opened and he smiled at Sam, "You got us away from them. Well done, Sam."

"My brother...my family - they'll track us down. We can't stay here." Sam said, and marveled at how strange his own voice sounded to him.

"You have a new family now, Sam. Our family. We are _everywhere_." He placed his hand on Sam's cheek. "We're all connected. Find your brothers and sisters and take us to them."

Sam's eyes fell closed and he _saw_. There were thin strands of light stretching out from him like a massive spiderweb. One strand, the brightest, ran from him to the vampire - their _Father_. The rest reached out in every direction - each one connected to another vampire. "South." Sam said.

Father nodded and let his hand fall back down, as Sam picked him up again.

* * *

><p>Four miles south, in an old, abandoned hospital, Sam found more than two dozen vampires. When he walked in, they took one look at him, (at who he was carrying), and bowed their heads respectfully. Three of the vampires ran towards a door in the back and threw open the door. As soon as Sam walked through, they shut the door behind him.<p>

They weren't the only ones in the room. Across from them, huddled together and terrified, were humans - six of them. Sam set Father down on his feet. As soon as he did, one of the humans let out a loud, terrified cry of pain, and the other five started screaming. Father had his mouth clamped onto a woman's neck.

Sam watched him feed and felt his own hunger grow. As he watched three more of the humans being drained, he remembered the taste of Christian's blood, and had the odd thought that he'd prefer demon blood over untainted human.

Father turned back to Sam and smiled. "Help yourself, Sam. These other two are yours. Don't worry, there are plenty more."

The two remaining humans - both male, both terrified - had pushed themselves into the corner furthest away from Sam. Their skin parted under Sam's teeth easily. Their blood only made him want more. He looked at Father, confused.

"What's wrong Sam?" Father asked.

Sam shook his head, "I'm still thirsty."

Father nodded, and opened the door. They walked a few rooms down into another holding pen. Father watched Sam drained all three. "Better?"

"No." Sam said. "It doesn't - something's missing." It was odd, being unable to sate such a basic need. Things had been so simple since he came back from the Cage - all of his hungers were basic and easy to satisfy, but this...this was different.

Father stepped over one of the corpses on the floor and walked closer to Sam. "Back with the hunters...did you feed there?"

Sam nodded and felt his mouth water at the memory. "Christian. A demon was possessing him."

"Was this 'Christian' still alive when the demon possessed him - when you drank from him?"

Sam smirked, "No. You snapped his neck."

"That's what I thought, and yet...you had no trouble drinking the blood of the dead."

"It isn't the first time." Sam said, "I drained plenty of demons before, back when I still had my soul. Not all of their hosts were alive at the time."

"Interesting." Father said, as he looked into Sam's eyes.

Sam looked back and felt like he was falling. He closed his eyes and shook his head, clearing his thoughts.

"That's...not possible." Father said. "None of my children can block me out."

"Is that what I did?"

"I only want to help you, Sam."

Sam nodded, "I know."

Father cocked his head to the side. His eyes widened slightly, and he said, "You were never really human to begin with, were you?"

Sam shrugged. "I was once, but a demon fed me his blood when I was a baby. I guess I've been different since then."

"Not just any demon either..." Father said. He stared into Sam's eyes. "One of the Fallen?"

"His name was Azazel."

"Azazel. Lucifer's general. I remember."

"You remember?"

"Yes. I remember Lucifer standing against the Host. He was so proud, and he was so angry." Father chuckled. "I see echoes of his grace in your eyes, Sam. You were his vessel."

Sam nodded, "I was. Then I jumped into his cage while he was inside of me and trapped him there."

"Trapped him along with the part of yourself you've outgrown..."

"Yes."

"Do you gain power from the demon's blood?"

Sam nodded, "Over them. I killed the demon in Christian with it."

Father shook his head, "Incredible." He brought his hand up and ran one long, sharp fingernail over the skin of his wrist, slitting his skin open. He held it up to Sam and said, "See if this helps."

Sam leaned down and drank deeply. Father's blood was much better than the humans'. The more he drank, the stronger he felt.

"That's enough, Sam." Father pulled Sam's head off of his wrist, and the skin of his arm healed in seconds.

Sam ran the back of his hand across his mouth and licked the last few drops off of his skin.

"How do you feel?"

Sam considered the question, and said, "Less thirsty."

Father laughed, and turned towards the door.

They walked back out into the main room - once upon a time it had been a lobby, or even a waiting room. The vampires turned and looked from Father to Sam and back.

"Children," Father said, "We are at war. Not just with the humans...but with demons." He held up his hand and gestured to Sam. "Your new brother, Sam, helped me escape after the demons and their human pets poisoned me with dead blood."

The vampires watched Father move among them, fixated on his voice.

"Our objective remains the same. Turn as many as we can. However, we must also ensure that we have enough food. The lower floors here still have many empty rooms. Let's make sure they're all filled." He turned to Sam and added, "You're going to help make sure our food source is sustainable. Felicia and Alex will show you what we've built."

* * *

><p>"What do you think?" Father asked Sam when he came back upstairs.<p>

"It's a start, but it's inefficient. Even with just a fifty percent increase in our numbers, we'd need three times as many humans as we have."

"We will capture more."

Sam shook his head, "The real problem is how long it takes for a human to recover from that kind of blood loss. Five days minimum - it's just too long."

"What do you suggest?"

"A human possessed by a demon can heal quickly. Damage like that could be healed in two days...less, if the demon's properly motivated."

Father smiled, "And...you can motivate them?"

Sam nodded, "Give me two rooms of my own, help me fill them with demons to drink from, and I'll be _very_persuasive."

"Consider it done."

* * *

><p>Two weeks later, Sam had everything he'd asked for and more. Three rooms designed to hold demons, and fifteen demon-possessed humans.<p>

It had been an interesting experiment - sending vampires to capture demons. They'd lost a few, but all in all, Sam mused, it had gone pretty well. He'd helped them make sacks covered with devil's traps, and branding irons shaped like binding links. Thanks to Christian's blood, the first two captures had gone so well they didn't even need any of their tools - Sam was enough. On their third trip out though, they'd been outnumbered. Heavily. Sam ended up having to drain one of the demons they'd meant to capture, but it was well worth the loss.

He opened the door to room 66 (rooms 66, 64 and 62 were his), and flipped on the lights. Five sets of black eyes blinked at him.

"Sam Winchester." said one of the demons - she was possessing a twenty-something woman with spiky brown hair and a nose ring. "We heard you got out."

"I told you he was helping them." snapped a demon next to her. He glared at Sam and added, "Lucifer's precious vessel - playing house with vampires."

Sam walked closer to the angry demon.

"When he gets out again - and he _will_, he'll find you. He'll throw you back into the Pit and then _we'll_get our turn tearing you apart." said the demon.

"Is that a fact?" Sam smirked, and grabbed the demon's chin. He leaned over the demon's throat, and inhaled deeply, smelling the sulfur-scent of its blood. He straightened again and looked the demon in the eyes. "Your _god_doesn't give two craps about you. He made you for one reason - to piss off his dad."

"How the Hell would you know?" the demon snarled.

"Because I _was_ your god - and as far as you're concerned, I still am." Sam bared his fangs, and bit down.


	2. Chapter 2

"What do you mean it won't work?" Dean yelled.

Samuel sighed, frustrated, "The cure won't work because he _fed _already. It only works if you drink it before you feed. You said you saw him kill Christian!"

Dean shook his head, "I don't know what I saw. He had blood on his mouth, but maybe it was just the vampire's blood." He slammed his hand against the wall he was standing next to in frustration. "Dammit, what the hell are we supposed to do?"

"We'll find him, Dean." Gwen said. She pushed herself off the wall she'd been leaning against, and walked towards Dean and Samuel. "We've got all their hide-outs mapped out. We've been tracking the vamps here a long time."

Dean shook his head, "Sam knows how to hide. If he doesn't want to be found, he won't be."

Samuel shook his head, "He's not your Sam anymore, Dean, he - "

"Shut your mouth - right now, or I'll rip out your friggin' tongue." Dean growled.

Samuel huffed, and held up his hands.

Gwen walked past Dean and said, "We're worried about him too." Then she went back downstairs to the library.

* * *

><p>Under Sam's direction, the vampires' supply of humans became a sustainable, <em>reusable <em>resource. Sam tried a few different techniques, figuring out what motivational tool was most effective. He tried pain first. The problem was that demons, by their very nature, were used to torture, and even though Sam could inflict a whole lot of pain, they didn't obey his commands any faster because of it.

Eventually, Sam found that a direct approach worked best. When he had enough demon blood in his system, there were no limits to what Sam could do to them. He could pull them from their hosts, kill them with a thought, and he could take away their free will. Overriding their minds was the most efficient way to get them to do exactly what he wanted, so that's what he did.

Sam took satisfaction in manipulating the demons like puppets _(puppets within puppets)_, and marveled at his own reaction to their expressions when he released them hours later. They were confused, and terrified...and it made Sam happy.

Father was so pleased with Sam's accomplishments, that he offered him a reward - anything he wished.

Sam only hesitated for a moment, before answering. "My brother, Dean. I want to bring him back into _our _family."

"Dean rejected our gift before."

"And he will again, if we give him the chance." Sam said. "We have to turn him, and feed him right after - otherwise it won't work."

Father looked at Sam strangely and asked, "Is this some vestigial sense of nostalgia, Sam? Why do you want to bring your brother into the fold?"

"If we _don't_, he will find a way to stop us. I guarantee he's looking for me right now. Plus..." Sam smirked, "He'd be a valuable asset, don't you think?"

"Indeed. He had so much potential." Father nodded, "As you wish. We will bring Dean home, and we'll make sure he stays." He tilted his head and asked, "Have you tried to turn any others?"

"Not since last week."

"Same as the rest?"

Sam nodded, "They look like they're going to turn, but then their veins go black and they die."

Father laughed softly, "A pity. I would so very much enjoy having more children like you." He sliced his wrist open with his nail and offered it to Sam. "Then again, I'm very lucky to have one."

Sam accepted Father's offering eagerly, and reveled in the strength of his blood. He wondered, not for the first time, why Father let him feed so often. From what Sam could tell, most of the others had never had even a single drop of Father's blood.

* * *

><p>Dean wasn't half as giddy as Samuel when they figured out where the alpha vampire had gone. There was an enormous nest of vampires hiding out less than twenty miles from the Campbell's compound. After weeks of watching, carefully, from a distance and always during the day - they finally spotted him.<p>

The plan was to sneak up on the vampires' nest. Cars would have been far too loud - they would have been heard from miles away. They were going to walk the last two miles, covering their scent as best as they could with a foul-smelling combination of mud and herbs.

On the final stretch of their long trek, through an empty field, Dean took another swig from his flask, flinching at the burn in his throat. He'd screamed for Castiel for hours, every day and every night with no response, and he'd lost his voice a few times because of it. Every word hurt, but that didn't stop him from screaming, "Look out!" when he saw the first pack of vampires running at them.

There were so many of them - dozens at least, and that was only counting the ones Dean could see. Four of them were running straight at him, and for a moment, he thought he saw Sam, standing twenty feet away, just watching. Dean opened his mouth to scream his brother's name, but couldn't hear his voice over the deafening sound of the four vampires near him, screaming all at once. There was a brilliant white light, and then another, and another. Dean couldn't see anything, and then he felt a horribly familiar sense of vertigo. When he could see again, Castiel was staring at him curiously.

"Cas...what the _hell_!"

"What were you trying to accomplish? You were outnumbered - twenty to one."

"We were trying to save Sam, and we were gonna take down all the vamps we could. We had a _plan_, Cas."

Castiel shook his head, "Your plan would have failed."

Dean turned around and looked behind him. "What happened to Samuel? Gwen? All the other hunters I was with?"

"We saved as many as we could. Your family is safe."

Dean scoffed, "No, my family is _not_ safe - _Sam _is still a goddamn vampire! Why didn't you bring him with us?"

"What would that have accomplished?"

"Well, you could help me try to _cure _him, for starters!"

"I can't cure _vampirism_, Dean." Castiel said, and shook his head, "Anyway, that's not what your brother is."

"Excuse you?"

Castiel let out a huff, "Your brother is not a vampire, not entirely."

"Okay, then what happened to him?"

"Back when he was drinking demon blood, his soul was tainted. The more he drank, the darker his soul became, but underneath all of it, I could still see his light."

"But his soul's not in him - you said so yourself."

"Exactly." Castiel looked down at the floor briefly, and then backup at Dean, "Dean...Sam has been drinking human blood...and _demon _blood."

Dean nodded, "Great. That makes me feel _so_much better."

"When a human becomes a vampire, it is more than a physiological change. That's why your grandfather's cure only works before they make their first kill. It isn't the biological change that transforms them - it's the metaphysical change. The act of taking a life - it mutilates the soul, allowing the vampirism to change the soul into something inhuman."

"Okay, so what does that mean for Sam?"

"He has no soul. Whatever he is...it isn't a vampire. It's something new."

* * *

><p>Sam didn't think he could feel rage anymore. He was wrong. Seeing Dean taken right out from under him by that <em>angel<em> made something in him _snap_.

He didn't remember anything beyond the feel of his fangs piercing skin over and over, the taste of blood in his mouth, the feel of power - constant but never enough _(never enough)_. There were screams and there were hands on his arms - trying to stop him, trying to pull him away from the blood, but they weren't nearly as strong as he was, and they couldn't break his hold. They couldn't stop him, and he didn't want to stop...not until he heard Father's voice, and smelled his blood.

"Sam. This isn't what you need."

Sam pulled away from the flesh and looked down at who he was holding. It was Felicia, one of his sisters. He dropped her to the ground and she clutched at her throat, coughing weakly. There were other bodies on the ground next to her - four, six, nine...Sam stopped counting and turned to face Father.

"Come here, child." Father held out his bleeding arm.

Much later, Sam woke in one of his rooms, lying on the floor. He blinked up into the overhead light and then sat up, leaning against the wall. The five demons he'd kept in this room were dead. The bodies they'd been in were torn to shreds and completely exsanguinated. The air smelled like sulfur and ozone - just like it always did when Sam burned demons from their hosts. He didn't remember draining them, but he felt their power in his veins, and the all-consuming hunger from earlier had faded into a low, dull ache.

The door opened, and Father walked in. He smiled at Sam and asked, "Are you feeling better?"

"I think so." Sam stood up, and added, "What was that? What happened to me?"

Father laughed softly, "You were upset. I believe seeing Dean taken from you may have been the cause."

Sam's lip twitched. "Castiel."

"One of the angels?"

"Yes."

"Tell me, why did angels save your brother and his hunter-friends?"

Sam shook his head, "I'm sure they have their reasons."

"I made you a promise, Sam. We will bring Dean into the fold. If we have to fight angels off to do so...then so be it."

"How many did we lose?"

"Too many..." Father said grimly, "but those that survived are relocating. We'll have to leave this place and go to another shelter. One far harder to find."

Sam nodded, "We should leave tonight."


	3. Chapter 3

In retrospect, Sam was pleased that he'd had enough sense (or more likely, instinct) to drain five demons during his...rampage. It made relocating the remaining ten demons infinitely easier.

Their new shelter was two states away, and underground - an enormous, abandoned water treatment facility. At Father's command, the vampires outfitted every entrance and exit with wards to hide them from both demons and angels.

For the time-being, Sam had a whole sub-level to himself. He'd picked four rooms, and was busy making them into holding pens for his demons.

"How magnificently practical." Father said, as he walked up behind Sam.

Sam smirked, and said, "Ten set of hands are better than one."

They stood and watched the demons work. Three of them were painting the massive devil's trap on the floor (all of them painted with Sam's sure, steady strokes), and two were mounting shackles on the wall. Sam had the other five doing the same thing in the room next door.

"I'm surprised they're able to build their own wards. Doesn't it hurt them?"

Sam shrugged, "It's uncomfortable, but it won't hurt until it's sealed." The three demons finished painting, and Sam held out his hand as one of them walked towards him and handed him her brush. Then she walked over and started attaching one of the sets of ankle shackles to her legs.

Father chuckled, "We'll get you more tonight. You have six more rooms to fill, after all."

"Six?" Sam asked, surprised.

"Soon, we'll have many more mouths to feed."

"I guess I'd better get back to work then." Sam said. He turned towards the demons who'd all shackled themselves after finishing their tasks. The demon closest to him (in the body of a blonde woman), looked at Sam - her expression completely blank. Her shackles opened one at a time. She stepped away from the wall and walked over to Sam. He pushed her hair back, leaned over her neck and bit down.

* * *

><p>Dean hadn't slept well in weeks. He got up from his cot in the Campbell compound and reached under it for his flask.<p>

There were loud voices coming from down the hall...from Samuel's office.

Dean got up and walked down the hall quietly, until he could make out what was being said, and by _whom_.

"I don't care how - just _find_ them. Now!" Crowley yelled.

"We are looking _everywhere_." Samuel growled, "You think I don't know how much is at stake?"

Crowley huffed, "Fifteen of my kind have disappeared in the last three days. Vanished into thin air. Normally when we do that, we show up again somewhere else!"

"Can't say I'm heartbroken about some missing demons."

"No." Crowley chuckled, "No, I didn't think you would be. Neither am I, really, except that I think it's obvious where they've gone off to."

Dean walked forward a few more steps, waiting for an answer.

"Where?" Samuel finally asked, exasperated.

"To your _grandson_, you half-wit."

"Sam?"

"Yes, Sam." Crowley sighed ,"No wait - don't tell me - you have no idea what I'm talking about."

Dean's patience wore out and he slammed open the door to Samuel's office. "He doesn't, but I do."

"Dean." Crowley said, "What a pleasant surprise.

Dean glared at Crowley and then at Samuel, "Want to explain why the hell you're talking to Crowley, Samuel?"

Samuel grimaced, "I have my reasons."

Dean scoffed "Yeah, I bet you do."

"We have an arrangement." Crowley said, "Unfortunately your grand-daddy has failed miserably at holding up his end of the bargain."

Samuel shook his head and growled, "We'll get him back."

"Get who back?" Dean asked. "Sam?"

"Dean -" Crowley said, putting a hand on Dean's shoulder.

Dean grabbed Crowley's wrist and moved his hand away. "Touch me again and I'll break your face."

"Dean." Crowley said again, "Samuel and I have a mutually beneficial arrangement. He helps me track down Alphas, and once I finally get what I need from them, I'll give him what he's asked for."

"What did he ask for?" Dean asked, "Money? Girls?" He turned and glared at Samuel, "Hair?"

Samuel scoffed and turned his back to Dean.

"The point is, I _want_ that alpha vampire, and I know you want your brother back."

"So...?"

"So...we work together. Pool our resources and find them both." Crowley said. Then he smirked, and added, "Plus...what good is your brother without his _soul_?"

Dean felt his heart skip a beat and his voice wavered when he asked, "You can get his soul back?"

Crowley nodded. "You scratch my back..."

"We could use Crowley's help on this, Dean..." Samuel said from behind them, "we're all working towards the same goal here."

"Oh come on!" Dean yelled. He turned to his grandfather and snapped, "Seriously? You want to work with a demon."

Samuel folded his arms across his chest and let out a heavy sigh, "I have no choice. _We_ have no choice."

"There's always a choice." Dean said.

"'Fraid not." Crowley said. "Anyway, as lovely as it's been chatting with you two, I do have other matters to attend to - Hell isn't going to rule itself."

After Crowley vanished, Dean stalked over to Samuel and snarled, "What the hell is he talking about?"

Samuel shook his head and huffed, "Crowley is the king of Hell."

"What? No way. He's the 'King of the Crossroads', or whatever, not Hell."

"Not according to him."

Dean made his hand into a fist, cracking his knuckles, and flexed his fingers out again. "Why are you working with him?"

Samuel looked at Dean sadly, opened a drawer in his desk and held out a photo.

* * *

><p>Bobby refilled Dean's glass and smiled at him weakly, "We'll figure somethin' out."<p>

Dean dropped his head into his arms and sighed, heavily.

"Crowley? Really?" Bobby mused out loud.

Dean scoffed into his shirt sleeves, and he lifted his head back up to add, "Guess Hell has pretty low standards."

"Do you think Cas knows?" Bobby asked.

"Do I know what?" Castiel asked, appearing next to Bobby's desk.

"About Crowley - that he's the friggin' king of Hell!" Dean snapped.

Castiel shook his head, "I'm sorry. I've been too busy fighting a _war_ to concern myself with the politics of Hell. Does it really make a difference?"

Dean looked at Castiel and let out a disbelieving huff, "No - you know, you're right, I guess it doesn't." He stood up and started pacing. "Look, Cas - I get that you're busy. I'm sorry, but I don't know what else to do. I have to find Sam. Do you have any idea where - "

"No. I have no idea where he is."

"You're an _angel_. How can you not know?" Bobby asked.

"Sam, the alpha, the other vampires that survived that night - I can't find any of them. Wherever they've gone, they're hidden from me."

Dean let his head hang down in frustration, and said, "Well. That's awesome. Then what are we supposed to do?"

"Stop looking for him."

"Are you nuts, I can't just - "

"Yes, you can. Dean - even if I knew where your brother was...attacking him right now would be suicide. We don't know what he's capable of."

"He's my _brother_." Dean ran his hand through his hair, "Well part of him, anyway. The only part I can get to right now."

"He _was_ your brother. Whatever he is now, he's chosen to stay away from you for a reason. Leave him where he is. There are more important things at stake."

"More important - "

"Yes. If Raphael wins this war, then the whole planet will suffer." Castiel looked Dean in the eyes, then down at the floor, and added "I'm sorry, I can't help you." before vanishing.

"Well." Bobby said. "Ain't he a ray of sunshine."

* * *

><p>All of Sam's rooms were filled within less than two weeks - five demons per room, forty altogether. The rest of the rooms on his floor were slowly being filled with humans. Father rewarded Sam every night with his blood.<p>

"Why do you give me your blood so often?" Sam asked one night after drinking his fill.

Father looked at him strangely and said, "You're my favorite son, Sam. You've earned it. Thanks to you, our survival will be far easier. Our numbers have increased tenfold in the last month, and yet, not one of us goes hungry." He smiled, "Soon, very soon, we'll be able to go after your brother again."

"The angels - "

"The angels are powerful, but there are beings far greater than them in this world. We'll have to remind them of that fact."

Sam stared at Father, wondering what he meant. As he looked into the vampire's eyes, something in the back of his mind clicked into place, and he heard himself say, "Apophis..."

"What did you say?" Father asked.

"Set...Marduk...Crius."

Father's eyes widened and he said, "I have had many names."

Sam let out a surprised huff, "Apophis, really? Not Osiris?"

"Osiris is a fool."

Sam smirked.

"Sam - " Father swallowed, and for just a moment, something like fear flickered across his eyes. Then he asked, "How did you learn my names?"

"I heard them..." Sam closed his eyes and remembered, "in your mind."

"What else did you..._hear_?"

Sam looked back at Father, and asked, "Who is Mother?


	4. Chapter 4

Father smiled at Sam, and answered with reverence, "Mother is...the mother of us all. It is by her will alone that we are what we are, and to her we will all return." His smile grew and he said, "For the first time in millennia - she walks among us again."

"Why now?" Sam asked.

"To all things, there is a balance. We have always had an uneasy truce with Hell and Heaven, but now...they slaughter our kind. Not just our family, Sam - all monsters. Mother feels our pain. She is furious, and her vengeance will be legendary."

"She can kill angels?"

"Oh yes. With nothing more than her touch."

"Can she teach me how?"

Father's smile grew thin, and he said, "Mother is greater than us all, and while we should all aspire to be more like her, some things are solely her domain."

Sam tilted his head to the side, and said, "I've always wondered what would happen if I drank angel blood."

"We will seek Mother's counsel. She'll advise us how best to...handle the angels."

"When?"

"When she gets here. She has thousands upon thousands of children and she cares for every one. She will honor us with her presence as soon as she can. Have patience, child." Father laughed softly, stood up, and left Sam's room.

Sam felt the thread of unease in Father's laugh like a tickle along his spine and smiled.

* * *

><p>"What are you, nuts?" Bobby barked at Dean.<p>

"Bobby - "

"No. Hell no. There's gotta be somethin' else we can try first."

"Nobody else has that kinda mojo."

"Okay, I ain't arguing with you there, but...what makes you think he has any interest in helping you?"

"I've got collateral."

"What? You mean the ring? You really think he wants it back?"

"Of course he wants it back."

"Dean..." Bobby rubbed his knuckles against his forehead and sighed, "look - I know you need to try everything you can, but think about this for a minute. Why would Death himself need a ring? Something that powerful...you really think he couldn't have just taken it back any damn time he wanted to?"

Dean swallowed, looked nervously out the window, and walked hurriedly out of the living room, muttering, "I'm gonna go make sure it's still there."

* * *

><p>"You wanted to see me?" Alex said, standing just outside Sam's door.<p>

"Yes, come in." Sam smiled at the young vampire. He smelled of fear. Ever since the night the angels took Dean, and Sam lost control, the other vampires kept their distance. Sam preferred it that way - he didn't have any use for them, normally. Tonight was an exception.

"Did you need my assistance with the feeding rooms?"

"No. I want you to deliver a message for me."

"A message? To whom?"

Sam smirked, "To Mother."

The vampire looked flustered, and was about to stutter a response of some sort, when the demon smoke hovering above him poured down into his mouth.

Sam watched the vampire's eyes go black and raised his eyebrows. "That was easier than I thought it would be."

The possessed vampire was nearly as easy to manipulate as any other possessed human. Sam carved protective sigils (Sumerian and Enochian) into its skin, hiding it from demons and angels. Then he leaned forward and gave the demon inside a direct order - just in case his hold broke after it got too far away - he hadn't tested the full extent of his reach. 'Don't heal the sigils. Let the vampire lead you to Mother. When you see her, tell her I request an audience. Now.' He closed his eyes and used the demon's power to get Alex out of the compound, and outside - nearly a mile away.

Sam walked out the door and over to the feeding rooms to check on his other demons. They'd be done restoring the humans in a few minutes, and Sam was eager to get them back into their pens. He was feeling rather thirsty himself.

* * *

><p>"It's not there!" Dean yelled as soon as he got through the door. "Did you hear me, Bobby? The ring - it's gone!"<p>

"Little busy here, Dean." Bobby answered. "We've got a guest."

Dean walked into the living room warily and felt his gut clench when he saw who was sitting in Bobby's chair.

"Hello, Dean." said Death. "Curly fry?"

Dean unfroze and walked close enough to carefully reach into the offered styrofoam box. "Thanks." Dean said, and shoved the curly fry into his mouth, afraid of the consequences of not accepting the offering. He watched Death place the container down on Bobby's desk and saw a glint of white when the horseman pulled back his hand. "So...you uh..."

"Yes. I have my ring." Death picked up a french fry and chewed on it thoughtfully, "Did you honestly think you could use something of mine as a bargaining chip?"

"Well I...was hoping you'd..."

"I'd what, exactly?"

Dean coughed, "I was kinda hoping you'd help with something."

Death blinked at him and gave him a withering look, "So you thought brandishing my ring at me would make me more inclined to help you?"

"He means well." Bobby said, "Just ain't exactly the brightest sometimes..."

Dean glared at Bobby, but stayed quiet.

"You want me to free your brother's soul."

"Yes." Dean said, quietly, "Please...what he is now, it's - "

"It's exactly what we need him to be." Death finished.

"What?" Dean snapped, all respect forgotten in the face of the sheer panic welling up inside him.

"Dean. You live a linear existence. I do not." He took a sip from his large cup of soda and continued, "I have seen every possible outcome."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that your brother will remain as he is, for the time being."

"For the - "

"With his particular skill set, he is in a unique position to prevent disaster."

"Prevent?" Dean yelled, "He is a disaster!"

"There are thousands upon thousands of realities, Dean. In one, you were never freed from Hell and Sam lost himself so completely he broke the world in two trying to get to you. In another, Azazel took Sam from his crib, raised him as his own and you died when Sam tore your still-beating heart out of your chest. In yet another, your brother was never turned by the alpha vampire. I gave him his soul back. For a few months he lived with no memory of what he'd done without his soul, and only a flicker of his memories of Hell - because I held them back, as best I could - but they broke through and he shattered. His mind was utterly destroyed, his body followed, and so did you. Shall I go on?"

Dean swallowed back the lump in his throat and said, "No."

"Sam is not the one you should be worried about." Death stood up and straightened his coat. "Do you know what your angel friend has been up to?"

"Cas?"

"What's he been up to?" Bobby asked.

Death turned to Bobby and answered, "Ask him."

Dean ran his fingers through his hair in frustration and said, "Look - "

Death arched an eyebrow.

"Please. Just, tell me what I can do. I'll do anything. Just - you can't just leave Sam down there!"

"I can, and I will."

Dean took a step forward - he couldn't help himself.

"However - " Death said facing Dean again, "if your brother plays his part, he will have saved me quite a bit of trouble, and I will free his soul from Lucifer's cage."

Dean let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding and said, "Thank you...what about Adam?"

"Do you really want to press your luck, Dean? With me?"

Dean's lips twitched with anger, but he kept his mouth shut.

"Go talk to Castiel, and stop him from doing something very foolish." Death said, and vanished.

* * *

><p>Sam closed his eyes and focused on the demon inside of Alex. It was miles away, but he could still sense it moving - guided towards Mother by the vampire's instincts. Sam felt a small thrill when the pull the vampire was following grew stronger. She was close.<p>

The demon Sam was draining twitched weakly in his hold and Sam pulled back from its throat. "One's not gonna cut it tonight." Sam mused to himself, and turned to move towards the next demon over. He felt an odd flicker on the edge of his awareness, and then everything around him shifted. He was outside, and the nearly full moon was bright in the night sky.

"Hello, Sam." said a voice from behind him.

Sam turned towards Mother and smiled, "Hello." She was in the body of a young woman, but underneath her skin was something ancient and powerful.

Mother was holding Alex in her arms - he hung limply, unconscious. Mother stepped towards Sam and laid Alex down by Sam's feet. "Pull your servant out of my child."

Sam held his hand over the vampire's body. The demon's smoke poured out of Alex's mouth and hovered by Sam's side, waiting. Sam nodded, and sent the demon back to it's holding pen.

Alex moaned weakly, and started coughing.

"What's wrong with him?" Sam asked. As he watched, Alex's veins started to become visible through his skin - a whole network of blood vessels getting darker and darker every second.

Mother glared at Sam and said, "You know exactly what's wrong with him. You poisoned him."

Sam shrugged, "Not on purpose."

Alex stopped coughing, and started making a pitiful wheezing sound. He fell silent, and stopped moving.

Mother crouched down next to Alex and closed his eyes. "My children cannot be possessed."

"I beg to differ."

"You destroyed Alex's soul the moment you sent that demon into him."

"I just wanted to get your attention."

As she stood back up, Mother's face shifted, and something inhuman strained angrily against her borrowed skin. "You have it."

Sam smirked, "Father said you would come to us, but I wanted to talk to you...privately."

"Father." Mother laughed, "He's not your father, anymore than I'm your mother. If you were one of my children, I could have spoken to you the moment my feet touched the earth. You're not mine." She ran her fingers over his cheek and said, "You're something brand new...aren't you?"

"What's your name? If you aren't my mother, what do I call you?"

"Eve." she said, her eyes shining with bright flame for just a moment. "You can call me Eve."

"Eve." Sam said. "What can you tell me about angels?"

"Angels." Eve sighed. "They're arrogant, and they're not nearly as important as they like to think they are."

"Teach me how to kill them."

Eve laughed, "I like you, Sam. You get right to the point."

"I don't like to waste time"

"Neither do I." Eve said. "I was away for far too long. I came back because my children cried out to me for help. Do you know why they called for me?"

"Demons. Father says demons are killing monsters."

"Not just demons." Eve closed her eyes and said, "I see through the eyes of my children - as they're tortured again and again and again. More than any others, I see two faces looking down on them. A demon named Crowley, and an angel."

"What angel?" Sam asked.

* * *

><p>"Cas!" Dean yelled out again. He'd been calling for Castiel for an hour with no response.<p>

"Dean." said Balthazar from behind him.

"Where's Cas?" Dean asked, turning to face the angel, who was standing on top of one of the wrecked cars (an old Mustang) in Bobby's lot.

"Busy." Balthazar said, and hopped down off the hood of the car. "Then again, you know that, you just don't care. All of Heaven could be on fire, and you'd still be calling for Cas to come help you carry in your groceries."

"You know what? Screw you. You want to know what I've had to deal with the last few months?"

"No."

"My brother was turned into a vampire. My grandfather is working with demons. All of a sudden, friggin' dragons are real and you know who had to go fight them?"

Balthazar let out a bored sigh.

"Me! I had to go find a dragon-killing sword and fight them. Meanwhile, Sam's soul is still trapped in a cage with the Devil!"

Balthazar picked at his nails.

"So I don't care what you think, I have to talk to Cas. It's important!"

"Not as important as - "

"Do you know what he's been up to?"

"What on Earth are you talking about?" Balthazar asked.

"You're his buddy, right? He tells you everything."

"That's right."

"Right. So...where is he?"

"Busy, you stupid monkey."

"Fine. I don't have time for this. Whatever Cas is doing, it's bad enough that Death wants me to stop him."

"The Horseman?" Balthazar said, taken aback.

"No, the other Death. Yes, the Horseman!"

"I don't understand."

"Well, that makes two of us."

"Dean!" Bobby yelled from behind them. "Get your ass in here!"

Dean turned back around, but Balthazar was gone. He ran across the scrapyard to the door, and asked, "What's wrong, Bobby?"

"It's Ellie. She's in trouble."


	5. Chapter 5

Eve turned her head to the side suddenly, listening to something only she could hear. "No - you won't take her too." she said to herself.

"What happened?" Sam asked.

"See for yourself." Eve said, and put her hand on Sam's shoulder.

The world shifted around them and came back into focus inside a cabin. There was an older, blonde woman on the floor, clutching at her bleeding stomach. Next to her was an angel. He looked from Sam to Eve nervously, and took a step away from the bleeding woman.

"Don't strain yourself." Eve said, walking towards the angel. "You can't leave."

The angel swallowed and took another step away from her.

Sam watched them curiously.

"In fact..." Eve continued, "you can't do much of anything. Not in my presence." She turned towards the woman on the floor and crouched down next to her. "Sam, the angel's wings are clipped. He's all yours."

"What?" the angel said. "No. Wait."

Sam smiled and walked towards him. He let his fangs descend and leaned over the angel's throat.

The angel screamed and struggled against Sam's hold.

"Eleanor." Eve said to the injured woman, "What have they done to you?" She put her hands over Elanor's wound. "I was heartbroken when you left me, you know, but I'm not angry. I could never stay angry at my daughter."

Eleanor looked up at Eve and started crying softly, while the gaping hole in her middle started to slowly knit itself back together.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't want to tell them, but they made me. I couldn't - " she coughed violently.

"Shh...it's alright child. You don't need to speak. Just tell me what happened." Eve looked into Eleanor's eyes.

Sam drank deeper and deeper from the angel, but felt nothing close to the rush of power he'd hoped for. He pulled back from the angel and glared at him, "You're as weak as a human."

Eve stood up, walked towards Sam and asked him, "Was it everything you'd dreamed it would be?"

"No." Sam said, and shook his head, "Not even close."

Eve turned to face the angel and said, "Your general has just declared war."

The angel brought a shaking hand up to his bleeding neck and looked from Eve to Sam. "Let me go."

Eve nodded, "Of course. There's just one thing..." She reached forward, stuck her hand into the angel's chest and pulled it back out.

The angel's eyes lit up bright white and he crumpled, leaving behind two huge wings of ash on the wall.

Eve looked down at the angel's body, closed her eyes, and it vanished. She turned towards Sam and opened her hand. It looked like she was holding pure light.

As Sam watched, the light grew dimmer and dimmer, and then crumbled apart into dust. "Was that...?"

"Grace." Eve nodded, "That's why his blood didn't do anything for you."

Sam tilted his head to the side, confused.

"Angels don't have souls. Their human vessels do, but not the angels themselves." She smirked, and asked, "Sam, what do you think you've been feeding on this entire time?"

Sam's eyes widened just a bit at the revelation. "Father said the blood gave us our strength. That we fed on the life of blood." He let out small huff, "That's why I can drink dead blood. I'm not feeding on the blood at all."

Eve nodded, "Exactly. You're not like them Sam. Father's had to feed you his blood every night just to keep you turned. After all, without a soul of your own, the change can't ever really take hold." She turned towards Eleanor and held out her hand. "Come here, child."

Behind them, Eleanor rose to her feet slowly and straightened her ruined dress as best she could. She walked towards Eve and Sam, but kept her eyes down.

Eve pulled Eleanor towards her and put her hand on Eleanor's cheek. "You've done nothing wrong."

Eleanor looked at Eve and when she spoke, her voice was laced with panic. "But...they _know_. They're going to open the door, and they - "

"They'll do no such thing. The lords of Hell and Heaven may think they can do whatever they please, but they're wrong. We're going to stop them. Aren't we, Sam?"

Sam turned towards Eve and said, "Why should I help you? You haven't even told me what it is they're trying to do."

"Castiel was the one who got Eleanor to break."

"Castiel." Sam repeated, and felt his lips curl into a sneer.

"He did it because he wants to open Purgatory. He's allied himself with the demon king - they're on their way to open it right now."

"What do they want with Purgatory?" Sam asked

Eve scoffed, "Think of how much power you've been getting from siphoning off just a sliver of soul every time you drink from a demon. Angels get their power from souls too. Now think of how many souls are in Purgatory."

"Castiel is planning on taking all the souls for himself." Eleanor said quietly. "I heard it in his thoughts."

"No." Sam said. "That's not going to happen."

"Your brother is going to try to stop him." Eve said. "He'll die." She held her arm out and ran her nail along the inside of her wrist. A fine line of blood welled up. "You wanted me to teach you how to kill angels." She looked into Sam's eyes and said, "This is how."

Sam eyed her arm hungrily, closed his mouth around the wound and drank down power - a thousand times stronger than Father's blood.

Eve stroked Sam's hair as he drank and said, "You're going to help me, because you're the only one who can."

Reality shifted around them again, but Sam didn't even open his eyes to see where they were. Eve's blood flowed into him and with every drop his hunger grew.

* * *

><p>Dean drove Bobby to Eleanor's cabin as quickly as he could. Bobby spent the trip alternating between nervously clutching at his knee and growling, "Can't this thing go any faster?"<p>

When they pulled up to the cabin, the sun was high in the sky. Bobby opened the door and climbed out before Dean had even put the Impala in park.

Dean ran inside after Bobby and stumbled to a halt when he saw the imprint of angel wings on the back wall. "What happened?"

Eleanor shook her head, "It's all my fault."

"Ellie..." Bobby said, "whatever you did, it'll be alright. We'll figure somethin' out."

"Castiel and Crowley - "

"Wait. Castiel and _Crowley_?" Dean repeated.

Eleanor nodded, "They're going to open Purgatory. I told them everything. They know how to make the door, and they have..." She ran a shaky hand through her hair, "They have my blood - enough for the spell."

"Your blood?" Dean asked.

"They needed the blood of a purgatory native."

Bobby's eyes widened for a moment, and then he growled, "Sons of 're not gonna get away with this Ellie, I promise you."

"So that's why Crowley wanted the alphas...to get into Purgatory." Dean said quietly. He looked over to the ash-print on the back wall again and asked, "Who was that?"

Eleanor shook her head, "I don't know. Some angel Castiel left behind to do clean up. I think he was waiting for me to die, but then _Eve_ came...with someone named 'Sam.'"

"Sam?" Dean said, dumbfounded.

"Was he...tall as a redwood with a long mop of hair?" Bobby asked.

"Yes." Eleanor nodded. "Eve killed the angel and then...they vanished."

"Where'd they go?" Dean snapped.

"Eve said they were going to stop Purgatory from opening. She said Sam was going to help her."

Dean stepped closer to Eleanor and said, as calmly as he could, "Where are they? Where are Castiel and Crowley?"

"You can't go there. You'll die!" Eleanor said.

"Sam's my brother."

"They're..."

Bobby tried to smile reassuringly at Eleanor, but it came out heavy with sorrow. "If you know where they are, you have to tell us. We have to try to help."

"They're in Bootback, Kansas." Eleanor walked to a small side table and wrote a note on a piece of paper. "This is the address." she said and smiled at Bobby, as she handed him the note. "One of the perks of being what I am - peeking in the minds of others is easy, especially when they don't think you're a threat. The angel sent out a message to his soldiers with the address, I intercepted it." She bit her lip and added, "They have to do the ritual tonight - during the eclipse."

"We'd better get going then." Bobby said.

Dean turned and headed out the door.

Bobby kissed Eleanor on the cheek and said, "Thanks El - I'll see you again real soon, okay?"

Eleanor snorted, "Like hell you will. I'm going with you."

"What?"

"I like this world too, you know."

* * *

><p>Castiel watched Crowley mix the virgin blood with the purgatory blood.<p>

Crowley smiled when he was finished and held up the jar. "Our Purgatory power-shake."

"I'm renegotiating our terms." Castiel said, walking towards Crowley.

"Is that so? What terms do you propose?"

"You get nothing. Not one single soul." Castiel said.

"Can't help but notice, seems a bit unfairly weighted."

Castiel eyed the jar of blood and walked closer to it.

"Castiel. You wouldn't dare. I brought you this deal." Crowley snarled.

"You think I'm handing all that power to the king of Hell? I'm neither stupid nor wicked."

Crowley shook his head. "Unbelievable. Have you forgotten that you're the bottom in this relationship?"

"Here are your options. You either flee, or you die." Castiel said, resolutely.

"We made a pact."

"Flee, or die."

"Well then, so be it." Crowley stepped closer to Castiel. "Smite me."

Castiel tilted his head in confusion, but laid his hand on Crowley's forehead. Nothing happened.

"See the thing is..." Crowley said, "I'm a demon. It's in my nature to betray. I did think that maybe, _maybe_ you'd keep your end of the agreement, being an _angel_ and all...but then again, Lucifer is an angel too, isn't he?"

"Careful." Raphael said from behind Castiel, "That's my brother you're talking about."

"Raphael." Castiel said, whipping around, "What is the meaning of this?"

"Meet my back-up plan." Crowley said, grinning.

"I'm just here to ensure that you keep your end of the agreement with Crowley."

"You allied yourself with this demon?" Castiel asked.

"That's pretty funny, coming from you." Raphael smirked. She picked up the jar of blood and turned it around slowly. "When can we begin the ritual?"

Crowley looked at his watch and said, "In two hours." He spun towards Castiel and said, "You know, if you don't have the stomach to go through with this, I'm sure Raphael would be more than happy to take your share of souls as well."

Raphael laughed. "Castiel will try to find a way to stab me in the back up until the very moment we open the door. Possibly even after that."

"What a pity. Just can't trust anyone these days." Crowley said, smirking at Castiel.

* * *

><p>Three hours into the drive to Bootback, Dean's phone rang. He looked at the display and frowned, "What the hell do you want, Samuel?"<p>

Bobby looked over at Dean warily from the passenger seat.

_"I just called to tell you - Sam's not here."_

"Not _where_?"

_"With the vampires - we found the nest. It's chaos here, Dean. The place was crawling with demons. Must have been three dozen of them...more. Out of nowhere they just...up and left. The vampires are nearly all dead. The alpha's torn in half. I've been trying to get a hold of Crowley, but - "_

"I'm pretty sure your deal with him is off."

_"Why the hell would you think that?"_

"Because he has what he wanted. He doesn't need the alphas anymore." Dean held the phone away from his ear at the loud string of curses Samuel started yelling. After the noise started to die down, Dean asked, "Are you and Gwen gonna make it out of there okay?"

_"We'll be fine. Call me if you get a lead on Crowley._

"Funny story..."

* * *

><p>"Sam." Eve said gently, "That's enough. You're ready."<p>

Eve's skin closed itself. Sam bit down with his fangs, scraped her skin with his claws, sunk barbs into her flesh and used every other new tool in the arsenal Eve had given him, but nothing worked. He looked up at her and his mind felt hazy. He was so _hungry_ he couldn't think straight. "What did you do to me?" he asked.

"As the Morningstar's true vessel you have the capacity to hold an immense amount of power, but without your soul, you have no real drive, no _need_. I gave you our appetite." She smiled at him, stepped back and held out her arms. "Look around you."

Sam looked at their surroundings for the first time - walls of unending black rock rose up as far as he could see. Veins of lava ran through the walls, and flowed into rivers of fire on either side of where they stood. The ground felt oddly soft under his feet. Sam stepped forward and heard a moan of pain. He crouched down and touched the impossibly cool ground right next to the stream of lava.

"That's it." Eve said.

The ground pulsed under Sam's hand like a heartbeat, and something like electricity prickled at his skin. There was a scream, and Sam could see a face filled with with confusion staring back at him for just a split-second. Then, in a wave of pure energy, the soul _(a shifter, Sam could see it in his mind now)_, flowed into Sam.

Eve kneeled down next to Sam and said, "Purgatory is mine. I intend to keep it that way. I can keep the gate closed while those fools try their damnedest to open it, but not if my children aren't protected." She stood up and swept her arm outwards in an arc, "You're going to protect them."

Sam stared at her. He didn't want to protect anyone, he just wanted..._more_. He moved his hand forward a few inches until he felt another pulse of energy and pulled it up out of the ground and into himself. He shuddered as the power inside of him grew, and reached his hand further forward, searching.

"You'll keep them safe until the eclipse is past. It won't be easy to contain that much power, but if anyone can do it...it's you." Eve said, guiding Sam's hand right into the flowing lava.


	6. Chapter 6

Castiel watched Crowley paint the sigils on the wall with dismay. This was not going according to plan.

"I'll read the spell." Raphael said and held her hand out to Crowley.

The demon handed her the piece of parchment and curtsied.

_"Ianua magna Purgatori clausa est ob nos, lumine euius ab oculis nostris retento..."_ Raphael began.

Castiel let out a small sigh of relief when he spotted one of his soldiers peering in through the window. They were in position. They'd wait for his command and then come to his aid. They would distract Raphael and Crowley, and Castiel would make sure to take in the souls of Purgatory himself. Then he'd have enough power to take down Raphael and Crowley and the war would finally be over.

_"Creature terrificae quarum ungulae et dentes nunquam tetigerunt carnem humanum aperit fauces eius ad mundum nostrum nunc..."_

Crowley turned towards Castiel and waggled his eyebrows.

_"Ianua magna aperta tandem!"_ Raphael finished and the sigils on the wall began to glow.

The windows shattered and Castiel spun towards his soldiers, but Castiel's angels weren't the only newcomers. A massive cloud of demon smoke streamed in through the windows and surrounded Raphael.

* * *

><p>The souls of Purgatory were <em>everywhere<em>, they were in _everything_ - in the ground beneath Sam's feet, and in the lava running in angry red streaks through the stone. There were souls flitting through the air, trying to escape Sam's pull, but he was a maelstrom, and his power grew and grew until the cavernous world itself could barely hold him.

The souls looked smaller with every passing second. There were millions upon millions of them - every kind of monster that had ever walked, slithered or crawled across the Earth. Some of the souls were familiar, and Sam felt a satisfying spark of recognition as he consumed them - _Madison, Gordon, Lenore, Jack...and Father_. When he consumed the alpha vampire, Sam laughed at the inevitability of it all. His laughter shook the walls and drove the several thousand souls that had been clinging desperately to the rock out into the open. Sam swallowed them down and grinned. _'More.'_ he thought, and plunged his hands _(whose shadows were a mile wide)_ into the molten river.

He swallowed down every last soul, looked towards Eve, and asked. "Is that all?"

Eve was holding the fabric of Purgatory together by sheer force of will. Something was trying to tear it open, but Eve was stronger.

"I'm still hungry." Sam said, searching the walls for any last soul he might have overlooked.

_"There are more souls."_ said a voice.

_"Millions more."_ said another.

Sam turned towards the voices and saw serpents - dozens of them. They were wrapped around each other, undulating in the lava by Sam's feet. He remembered Eve saying, _The leviathans are no children of mine. If you consume them, they will destroy you. _Sam looked at the leviathans curiously and asked, "Where?"

The writhing mass rose out of the water and slithered towards his feet. _"Out there. Millions of souls, all for you. Set us free and they will be yours."_

Sam looked up at Eve again and back down to the leviathans.

_"You're stronger than her."_ they said and started to wind their way around Sam's legs. _"Help us open the door, and all the souls on Earth will be your feast."_

The largest of the leviathans wrapped itself around Sam's neck and hissed into his ear, _"Nothing else is as powerful as you. If you set us free, the whole world will bow to your will."_

Sam chuckled idly, wondering why the serpents thought he'd care about that. Worship didn't interest him, but the souls did. He was still so hungry. He moved towards Eve and reached for her.

The leviathans reached towards her too - eager for escape. "_Let us out."_ they hissed.

Sam felt a hand on his shoulder, turned around and saw what looked like an old man. His nose was curved, his eyes were dark and they held unquestionable authority. "Who are you?" Sam asked.

"I have something of yours." said he man. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a ball of painfully bright light.

* * *

><p>Raphael was an angel of judgement. Raphael taught mankind its first excorcism. Raphael would not be made a fool of. Especially not by an overzealous brat of a younger brother and an oil-slick that fancied itself king. No doubt Castiel and Crowley had planned this whole charade to bring her down. She laughed and swung her grace around her in an arc, culling the demon horde. Angels - traitors who thought Castiel had been chosen by God, ran at her - swords raised and eyes wide with fear. She showed them no mercy.<p>

Castiel dropped to the ground and crawled towards the sigils on the glowing wall. If he could reach the gate when it opened, everything they'd suffered through would be worth it. It would finally be over.

Crowley put his fingers in his mouth and whistled sharply. "Sic 'em boy!" he yelled, and sent his hellhound running towards Castiel. The hound was intercepted by some of Castiel's' soldiers, but Crowley had no doubt that would only slow him down for a few minutes.

On the other side of the large room, Dean, Bobby and Eleanor entered and stared at the skirmish.

"Balls." Bobby said, looking at the chaos.

* * *

><p>Sam flinched when he recognized what the man was holding. "No. Get that away from me." He tried to move away, but found he was frozen. The leviathans hissed in fear, as paralyzed as Sam. The horrible light, <em>the one soul Sam never wanted to see again<em>, came closer and closer as the man pushed it towards Sam's chest and deep down inside of him.

"It belongs to you, Sam." said Death.

Sam screamed and struggled to no effect. The light took hold of him and he felt himself, his consciousness, being swept aside as his soul _useless, broken burden_ made itself at home again.

Sam blinked and felt the weight of his body for the first time in centuries. He looked around slowly, confused by his surroundings. Then his eyes landed on the snakes wrapped all around him.

Death smiled mercilessly at the leviathans, clucked his tongue and said, "Sam spent over two hundred years with the Devil. I'm afraid he isn't too fond of serpents."

Sam clenched his eyes shut. Death had freed him from the Cage, so what he was seeing couldn't be real, it couldn't be. "You're not real." he said. "You're not real." Sam's words held the power of millions of souls, his word was _law_, and so the leviathans simply _ceased to be_.

"Good riddance." Death said.

"Where am I?" Sam asked, "Where's Dean?"

"Your brother is just up there." Death said, pointing past Eve. "You're going to have to be patient just a few moments longer."

Sam shook his head, "I want to see Dean. Now."

Eve screamed as Purgatory tore open, and fell backwards, landing by Death's feet.

* * *

><p>Castiel saw the first tear in the wall and stood, opening himself up - ready to take in the souls the second he sensed them. The opening to Purgatory grew wider and wider. He closed his eyes and reached out with his mind.<p>

"Castiel?" Sam asked.

Castiel opened his eyes and stared at Sam - his voice sounded _different_, and when he looked at the younger Winchester, he could see all of Purgatory shining out through Sam's eyes.

Sam grimaced as something in his mind rushed forward and filled him with rage. He grabbed the angel by the throat and growled.

Dean looked up from the fray, and rolled out from under two of the demons he'd been fighting. He stabbed the one that was still alive in the back of the throat and pulled the sparking blade back out quickly. He surveyed the room, sure that he'd heard Sam's voice. Bobby and Eleanor were keeping Crowley busy, and Raphael still had several angels to contend with. Then he saw Sam _pushing Castiel through a wall_, and ran towards them.

"Sam!" Dean yelled as he ran. He could barely hear himself over the shouting, the ringing of metal on metal from the angelic blades, and the noisy roar of demon smoke. "SAM!" Dean yelled again.

The rage in Sam vanished instantly when he heard Dean's voice. He let Castiel fall to the ground and turned to face his brother. "Dean?" he asked, wondering if he was still in the Cage - if this was just Lucifer's latest form of torture.

Dean swallowed when he heard Sam's voice - _his brother's_ voice. "Sammy?"

"Dean." Sam said, looking from Crowley, Bobby and Eleanor to Raphael and the other angels. "What's going on?"

Dean shook his head, "I'm not even sure I know." He looked towards Castiel, who was still slumped on the floor and said, "Last I heard...Cas was going to take in Purgatory's souls - all of them. He was working with Crowley, they were gonna go fifty-fifty, but then I guess Cas thought better of it."

"I see." Sam said. He looked out at the angels battling Raphael - at Bobby, Eleanor and Crowley and said, "They should stop fighting."

The near-deafening noise in the room fell silent instantly as everyone other than Sam and Dean fell to the ground, asleep.

"Sam?" Dean asked when his voice started working again, "Did you just -"

"I'm not in the Cage anymore."

"No, you're not. Do you know how you got out?"

Sam nodded, "Death took my soul out of the Cage and brought it to Purgatory."

"You were in Purgatory?" Dean asked.

"Yes. That's where my body was."

"Was there anything else in Purgatory?"

"Just Death, and Eve."

Dean swallowed, "What about all those millions of souls everybody was after?"

"They're safe."

"Oh." Dean decided to drop the subject until he thought of a better way to phrase his question, and thought of something just as pressing, "Is Adam still in the Cage?"

Sam tilted his head to the side for a moment and said, "Adam's in Heaven."

Dean raised his eyebrows, "That's good."

Sam looked down at the angel lying next to them and said, "Castiel - "

Castiel jerked awake and pushed himself up into a sitting position. He looked up at Sam and turned to Dean, his eyes pleading.

"Lucifer wants a word with you." Sam finished.

Castiel vanished, and Dean couldn't think of a thing to say.

Sam walked towards Raphael and the angels. As he passed by them, they turned to ashes.

Dean walked a little faster, and rushed to Bobby's side, his resolve to stay cool shattering (much like the angels), when he noticed Bobby was bleeding from his side.

Sam stopped a few feet away from Crowley and let out a short whistle.

Dean flinched when he heard the unmistakable noise of a hellhound growling, right next to Sam.

Crowley woke up and stared at Sam in confusion. Then he looked to Sam's left and said quietly, "What did you do to my dog?"

"He's going to take you home to the rest of his pack. Then, they're going to spend the rest of eternity tearing you to shreds - over and over and over."

"No. No, wait - " Crowley said, but his protest was cut short by a loud, sharp bark. Crowley's throat bent back at an awkward angle, his body was torn backwards - across the floor and through the wall, faster than the eye could see.

Sam cocked his head and looked down at Bobby and Eleanor. "They'll be fine." he said and turned away from them, as they too disappeared.

"Dammit, Sam." Dean snapped, "Would you stop - wishing everybody into the cornfield for five friggin' minutes?"

"They're at Bobby's, not in a cornfield." Sam said, walking back towards the open portal.

"You know what I mean!" Dean said and then froze when he saw who was waiting for them.

Death stood in front of the portal, hands resting on his cane.

Sam walked up to the horseman and said, "You could have stopped me."

"Of course." said Death.

"Why didn't you?"

The horseman looked mildly amused, and said, "Because overall, I agree with your actions. Believe it or not, you prevented far more destruction than you caused."

Dean moved a few steps closer to Sam.

"Hello, Dean." said Death.

Dean held up his hand nervously and said, "Hi."

"I did give your brother his soul back, as promised." the horseman said, arching an eyebrow at Dean.

"You did..." Dean tried to bite his tongue, but couldn't help from adding, "along with a billion others, apparently."

Death smirked, and turned to Sam "Oh no, he did that all by himself. The question is - is he going to put them back where they belong?"

Dean looked back at his brother, but Sam was staring at the horseman intently.

After nearly a full minute, Sam nodded once and turned to Dean. "You need to understand something. I spent two-hundred and forty-eight years with _Lucifer_. I'm not okay - not by a long shot. Death can help me keep it together, but not forever. At some point, I'm going to break."

"Sam - " Dean shook his head, "We'll figure something out. We always do."

Sam smiled sadly. "Not this time."

Dean opened his mouth to argue, but Death held up a long, bony finger and said, "It's time."

The portal flickered rapidly and Sam fell to his knees. Light and sound - the power and voices of millions of souls - poured out of Sam and through the portal.

Sam let out a gasp and collapsed. Dean dropped to his knees next to him in panic.

Death smiled down at Dean and said, "Don't worry. Sam will wake up again soon. Just give him a few hours to rest - he's had quite the exhausting day." Then the horseman rapped his cane against the floor and vanished.

Dean pushed at Sam's shoulder and said, "Hey Sasquatch - you can't nap here, and I'm not carrying your ass to the car."

Sam's eyes stayed closed, but he mumbled, "Jerk."

* * *

><p>Eve welcomed all of her children home with open arms. They nestled back into the rock and the molten rivers of their home and Purgatory felt complete again. Her youngest child was resting in her arms.<p>

He looked at her in confusion and said, "What happened? Where am I?"

"You're home, my son."

"I feel...different. What - what happened to my body?"

"You don't need it anymore."

"What am I?" he asked.

Eve looked down at the brand-new soul and smiled, "You're perfect, Sam. You're perfect."


End file.
